


Vertices

by aunt_zelda



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, First Meetings, Gen, Yuletide Madness, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 00:39:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9048409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aunt_zelda/pseuds/aunt_zelda
Summary: Modern AU. Vex and Zahra go to a bar to get free drinks, and end up making a new friend.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aworldinside](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aworldinside/gifts).



> Yuletide treat for aworldinside. 
> 
> Read your letter and wanted to write you something for these three characters. I agree, I wish Zahra showed up in more fanworks. The modern AU took me by surprise as I wrote, but your letter did suggest it as an option so I ran with it. 
> 
> Hope you like this little fic.

Vex does it because she’s allergic to spending money. Zahra does it because she finds it amusing to frustrate arrogant men.

They’ve never been to this bar before, but Zahra has already put it on her internal list of places to return to in a few weeks. The décor is tasteful and the industrial side of modern goth, all dark metal and black curtains, with just a few cheeky steampunk touches here and there. 

Vex is in her sparkliest dress, practically a walking disco ball, while Zahra favors something skintight and red leather. They’ve attracted significant interest already, but it’s not until their third round that they find their target for the evening. 

He’s young, so young he was absolutely carded at the door. His hair is bleached white and his clothes are expensive. 

“Note the shoes,” Vex hisses.

“Note the watch,” Zahra murmurs into her girlfriend’s ear. 

“Wish me luck?” Vex grins. 

Zahra slaps her ass and leans against the wall as Vex strides to the bar. 

A wink and a few flirty words, and the young man is blushing and ordering Vex whatever she wants. After two rounds, Vex waves Zahra over, who brackets the young man, making him shift back and forth to keep them both in eyesight. 

He’s polite, and doesn’t make grabs for either of them, despite being rather deep in his cups himself before long. Nor does he insinuate things about their relationship. 

“You don’t have to keep flirting, you know, I’ll keep buying you drinks,” he says, after the sixth round. 

“What’s that, darling?” Vex asks. She’s speared two cherries on the end of a umbrella. 

“I know you aren’t going to come home with me. I just wanted to chat, and you seem interesh-sting,” he hiccups. “And well, you are both devastatingly attractive. I’ll admit to a little selfishness on that front.”

Zahra raises an eyebrow. “You’re not angry?”

“What for?” he looks genuinely confused. 

“Usually, at this point, when Vex and I are still only a little tipsy, a man gets … upset. That the night isn’t going his way. After buying all the rounds.” Zahra explains. 

Vex looks as confused as the young man. 

“Oh, that.” The man waves his hand, almost knocking over a row of glasses. “I can afford all this, easy. Money’s just … whatever.” 

That leads to a string of rambling conversations between the three of them, Vex showing the young man how to tie a cherry stem with only his tongue, and Zahra buying the final round before insisting on calling an Uber and bringing Percy home with them for safety. 

“If you’re made of money, and you’re this intoxicated, you could be taken advantage of tonight.” Zahra says, when Percy tries to protest. 

“By people other than us, darling.” Vex points out, half draped over Percy’s shoulders, one strap of her dress slipping from her shoulder. 

“Fair point, fair point,” Percy holds out his hands as if he’s about to be cuffed. “Lead on, mysterious beautiful women.”

Percy falls asleep in the cab, head pressed against Vex’s neck. Zahra watches, but he doesn’t take the opportunity to ‘accidentally’ place his hands in places he hasn’t been given permission to touch. 

They rouse him long enough to get him up the stairs and splayed out on their couch. Zahra presses a glass of water into his hand, and refuses to let him sleep until he’s drunk it in full. Vex pulls off his shoes and whistles, her earlier assessment confirmed.

“You can sell those. I won’t press charges.” Percy promises, sincerely, before passing out. 

“Weirdo,” Vex says affectionately, folding a blanket out over him.

“I like him,” Zahra muses. “Polite. Good taste in company.”

“Rich,” Vex points out, as she strips out of her dress on the way to bed. “‘Made of money,’ he said.”

“Lonely,” Zahra says, the teasing gone from her tone. “Very, very lonely.” 

Vex sighs heavily, pulling on the baggy park ranger t-shirt she wears for sleep. “If he’s there in the morning, we’ll invite him to brunch.”

“And you’ll pay, will you?” Zahra asks, raising her eyebrows. 

“Maybe,” Vex crawls into bed. “Tomorrow is full of possibilities.” 

Zahra shuts off the light and finds her way to Vex in the dark.


End file.
